。 it's been a {ℓσηg уєαя} 。

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Deep only <3

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The funny thing about being rich is that everyone automatically assumes that you are happy with your life. You exist in a bubble of perfection, filled with smiles, extravagance and above all, happiness. Lane Alexander Nikolias Everheart never understood why others placed him in that specific bubble of joy. He never gave anyone a reason to assume he was happy. He didn't smile, didn't laugh. Hell, Lane never even expressed much interest in anything. He did what he parents told him to without so much as a sneer of defiance. He was a doll for them to do with as they wished.

The Everhearts had been a wealthy family since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. They owned many chains of factories, which had been providing the family with a more than comfortable existence. Lane was named after his great-great grandfather, who truly turned the business around and made a name for their family. Lane's father always boasted, telling him that it was an honor to be named after such an amazing man. Lane wasn't so sure.

Of course, his parents always tried making Lane as happy as they could. He was their miracle baby, the only one born after many, many miscarriages. He never knew what feeling like a miracle was supposed to be, because he didn't find himself any more special or extraordinary than every other person. He didn't feel blessed or chosen. Lane just...existed. Same as the rest.

If anything, his family put more weight on his shoulders than a seventeen year old boy should have to deal with. He was to inherit the family business eventually. He had to marry right and provide children- more importantly, a male heir to the company. Lane didn't want that responsibility, but his desires played no part here. This was all chalked up to duty and family honor.

So, Lane immersed himself in reading and researching. His topic of choice? Demons. A little morbid, I know, but Lane was not the most normal boy to walk the earth. He poured his heart and soul into finding out every way to summon or communicate with demons. How to trap them, own them. The horrible things they'd do to humans. He was told that these were only stories, fables told to children to get them to behave, but he wasn't convinced. Blaire, Lane's personal bodyguard and the only person he'd voluntarily talk to, wasn't quick to encourage this strange obsession. He constantly tried to keep Lane distracted, but it was not very effective. Lane always found a way back to his research.

The seventeen-year old sat at a large wooden desk in his family's library, books spread around him, splayed open, some pages marked off. His silvery-blonde hair was pulled back in a plait so that he did not have to push it out of his face every five seconds. From the back, Lane could have been mistaken for a girl, since his body lacked muscle. He had a feminine figure, curvier than your average male, with porcelain skin that had to be thoroughly lotioned with sunscreen before he could go out in the sun. Good thing he resided in England, where the sky was most often cloudy. He'd gotten a new book about the origins of demons and Lane had been spending hours reading it and making notes in his little black book.

"Lane, perhaps you should go have something to eat," Blaire suggested. He stood by the window, seated on the windowsill. He watched the boy, who was laying on his stomach with his legs pulled up behind him.

"Not hungry," Lane answered, jotting down a particular demon's name. He circled it for later reference, "You may go eat if you are. I want to stay here a little longer."

Blaire sighed- there really was no reasoning with him when he was like this.

[deepwallow]

Now, of course, with ever great family, there had to be a terrible secret. Some hidden family shame. The Everhearts were no exception. Somewhere early in their history, back as the family really got going into their family business and bought the house, a certain ancestor suddenly vanished from the family history. He was never mentioned in the family get-togethers, and when he was it was briefly. All that was remembered was that he brought the family shame in some way.

And how exactly was this possible? All the family records mentioned was that he was 'a superstitious man who let him obsession get the best of him.' Nothing more, nothing less. The rest of the information was the standard facts of his birth, death, and minor achievements. However, if one delved further, they would discover something odd, but not about the man himself.

It was about the house.

In the old family maps of that certain ancestor's time, if one was observant enough they would notice an extra room that one couldn't view from the outside. In the more recent maps, more addons extended the home, but that room still remained. It has no label, nor any door it seems, for the map labels no entry into it. So only one question remains for one curious enough:

What was in that room? Where was that room? And why is it never mentioned?

Of course, many rumors have gone down in history about it's contents. Ghosts, bodies, shines, but most of all: demons. So it's not hard to imagine why the Everheart parents did not tell their son anything about this room or it's rumors. Especially when he seemed to share the same obsessive trait with a particular ancestor...

------

As Blaire talked and The young Everheart heir flipped through the book to the next page, he landed on a page labeled: "Lilith and the Succubi". On the page, it described female demons who would take the form of a beautiful woman and steal men's souls and lives usually through sexual intercourse. Depending on the religion, they took many forms, but the most common was a demon with a beautiful female form with horns, a spade tail, wings, and occasionally talons and hooves. Their were a few pictures included in the book, depicting Lilith, the mother of Succubi (plural for succubus) and the First wife of Adam from Catholic Religion

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Lane frowned, looking closer at the page, "Suuccubi?" He murmured to himself, making another note in his notebook.

[deepwallow]

The page went on, mentioning how Lilith was actually cut from the main Catholic religion, and only other old text mentioned her as Adam's first wife. Apparently she refused to lie beneath Adam, saying they were equal since she, unlike Eve, was made from the earth like Adam. She spoke God's name and gained tremendous power, but was thrown out of the garden and cursed with her Succubi children. She is also mentioned in many other religions, with a wide range of portrayals. This chapter certainly seemed an interesting read.

However, as Lane read, for an instant there seemed a very faint whisper that was gone as soon as it was there.

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Lane looked up, his sky blue eyes darting around the library. Blaire was already gone and there seemed to be no one else in the room.

"...Hello?"

[deepwallow]

There was silence for awhile, except for his own echo. But then, just when he thought it was only his imagination, it happened again, still the faintest of whispers. It was gone in an instant again, and whatever it said was impossible to make out.

But it was there.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Lane shook his head and sat up, "Whoever is there better come out this instant! You shouldn't be in here!"

[deepwallow]

All that answered him was silence and then that faint whisper again when all went quite. No one was in the library, and Lane's parents were out at some meeting and a party that Lane did not have to attend for once. Therefore, no one should really be near the library at this time

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The boy got to his feet and approached the various bookshelves, "I mean it! My parents only let me use this library, so if you're someone who works for us, you better go now."

[deepwallow]

The whisper stayed all the same, only speaking when all else was silent. However, when he approached one of the bookshelves, it strangely grew just a little bit louder. It was still very vast and barely audible, but in the silence of the room, the volume increase, however small, was noticeable

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Lane pouted, peeking around one of the little aisles, "This isn't funny, if it's some kind of joke. No one is laughing."

[deepwallow]

As he drew near to a certain spot, it kept getting gradually louder and louder. Sometimes it would get softer, indicating that he was getting farther away. As he followed this strange voice, he finally came to the end of the library towards one of the walls. The voice was almost an audible whisper now when it came, so he would be able to actually hear whatever message it was conveying

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Lane leaned closer, narrowing his blue eyes as he listened to the strange voice. He probably should have run to get Blaire straight away, but something was keeping him from doing that.

[deepwallow]

It grew slightly closer- he could almost make out the words! - but a large wall book case filled with old tombs no one read anymore stood in his way, almost like they were muffling his way to hearing the voice

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Lane gritted his teeth in annoyance. He pulled away some of the books, pressing his ear against the wooden figure, "Hello?"

[deepwallow]

It was silent again, waiting until his echoes died and the room was enveloped by stillness before finally, just barely able for the human ear to pick up, came the whisper.

"Hello there."

The message was simple, and almost disappointing, except for two things. One: None of the servants had this voice. It was light and obviously feminine, sounding very sweet and somewhat... Enchanting. Two: the walls around the library were extremely tick, as were the backs to all the bookcases. In fact, they were virtually sound proof.

So how was this voice getting in? And at a faint whisper? Someone would have to be screaming just to be heard, and it would certainly not sound like a whisper then

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He jumped in surprise and looked around, "Where..where are you?"

[deepwallow]

Once again, the whisper waited for that silence before it spoke once more.

"Come find me."

It replied. But... How?

How could the wielded of the voice possibly hear Lane, especially since HE hadn't yelled? Where was this person?!

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Lane peered around, his blue eyes wide, "But..I already checked around the whole library. This is not funny!"

[deepwallow]

"Free me."

Free it? Now that was a bit odd. Clearly there wasn't any cells or dungeons in the library, Lane had obviously seen that. And why would a person need freeing? They were captured? By what? Where? Why?!

There were too many questions and not enough answers